Approved IAR CE Courses

The SEC’s modernized Marketing Rule significantly changed how registered investment advisers can promote their services, and regulators continue to scrutinize marketing practices closely during examinations and enforcement actions. In this session, securities attorney Michelle Atlas-Quinn will break down the key requirements of the rule and explain how advisors can structure compliant marketing programs in 2026. The program will clarify what qualifies as an advertisement under the rule, review prohibited statements that may be considered misleading, and explain the regulatory requirements governing testimonials, endorsements, and promoter relationships. Michelle will also examine the complex rules surrounding performance advertising, including the presentation of gross and net performance, the limitations on hypothetical performance, and the documentation firms must maintain to support marketing claims. The session will also address third-party ratings, social media considerations, and the expanded books-and-records obligations under the rule, while reviewing recent enforcement actions that illustrate how regulators interpret these requirements in practice.

When it comes to homeownership and financing, mortgage planning and credit score management go hand in hand. A strong credit profile leads to better mortgage rates, lower borrowing costs, and increased financial flexibility. As a financial advisor, understanding how to guide clients in both mortgage planning and credit score optimization is essential for helping them secure better financing, manage debt strategically, and maximize long-term wealth.In this program, our experts will break down mortgage strategies and credit optimization techniques into separate, focused discussions, giving advisors the tools to guide clients through both areas effectively. Advisors will learn how to help clients improve credit scores before applying for a mortgage, manage mortgage debt at different life stages, and leverage home equity in retirement.

This course provides financial professionals with a data-driven overview of today’s college admissions landscape, including key trends in selectivity, testing policies, and application strategies. Participants will learn how these changes impact planning considerations and how to incorporate admissions insights into more effective client conversations around education and financial planning.

This program, which features tax attorney Joe Endres, will address applying residency tax rules tocommuters, occasional visitors, and full-time residents of the various states. It will also identify the practices most states use to determine if a taxpayer has "truly" changed their residence. For example, changing your residence from a high-tax state (think NY, NJ & CA) to a low or no-tax state (think FL) can dramatically reduce the amount of state taxes you have to pay. But high-tax states don't let their residents go smoothly. If you continue to maintain any connection to the former residence (think snowbirds), the high-tax state may contest that you genuinely changed your residence. Note that Mr. Endres specializes in residency and local taxation matters and hasrepresented numerous clients in cases related to this issue.In this webinar, Mr. Endres will teach you how states determine a taxpayer's residency and how tomake the states respect your residency change.

This course, led by Bob Keebler, CPA, will focus on the intergenerational transfer of property and will focus on what CPAs should know about trusts and estates. It will cover many topics rangingfrom fundamental legal principles of trusts and estates to how language in the trust instrumentaccomplishes a particular tax result.Bob will also discuss the legal definitions and principles of estates and trusts, the basic principles regarding property ownership, and the types of trusts commonly used. Bob will also delve into trust accounting fundamentals and the specific clauses thatare important to understand, including formula valuation clauses.

In this eye-opening session, college planning experts Beth Walker and Joe Messinger will show financial advisors how even high-income, high-asset families — including business owners — can implement sophisticated strategies to optimize financial aid outcomes. Using real-world case studies, they will demonstrate how strategic income timing, asset positioning, and business planning decisions can meaningfully reduce out-of-pocket college costs, even for clients who assume they won’t qualify for aid.

Jonathan Sparling of Private 529 Plan will join Beth and Joe to present sophisticated 529 plan strategies many advisors overlook. Jonathan’s review will include the power of grandparent-owned 529 plans, how funding 529 accounts during low-income years can create meaningful state tax arbitrage opportunities, how ownership structuring can position 529s as a powerful financial aid asset strategy for divorced or remarried families, and how deliberate beneficiary “generation shifting” can extend tax-free compounding across decades. Jonathan will also explore he unique value of private 529 plans — including the ability to lock in tuition at participating private colleges, hedge tuition inflation risk, reduce reported parental assets (depending on structure), and potentially improve financial aid positioning.